Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Tatoi’

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Tatoi’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with bronze ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date September 13-18; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Tatoi’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor potmums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new chrysanthemumcultivars with a decorative type flower, a natural season flowers datearound September 13-18; blooming for a period of 5 weeks. The new plantof the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofchrysanthemum plant. ‘Tatoi’ is a seedling resulting from a crossingprogram, set up by a previous breeder, and which records are unknown tothe inventor. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selectedas a flowering plant by Mark Roland Boeder on a cultivated field inRijsenhout, The Netherlands in 2001. The first act of asexual productionof ‘Tatoi’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from theinitial selection in 2001 and propagated further in a controlledenvironment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The new cultivar has beenfound to retain its distinctive characteristics through successivepropagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows plants of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the near cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage of the new cultivar.

The plant shown in the photographic drawings was fifteen (15) weeks oldwhen those photographs were taken.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium L. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands undernatural day length and temperature and planted in week 24 in 2004. Thenatural blooming date of this crop was September 13-18 (week 38). Theaverage height of the plants was 40 cm. No growth retardants were used.No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. Notests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety producesmedium sized blooms with bronze ray florets blooming for a period of 5weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar cultivar incomparison to ‘Tatoi’ is ‘Iduna’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,925). When‘Iduna’ and ‘Tatoi’ are being compared the following difference isnoticed: The difference of ‘Iduna’ and ‘Tatoi’ are (1) Colorray-florets. And (2) Color flower center (1) The ray-florets of ‘Iduna’are more soft orange than those of ‘Tatoi’. (2) The flower center of‘Iduna’ is darker colored than that of ‘Tatoi’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Tatoi’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of chrysanthemum plant ‘Tatoi’ Bud SizeSmall; cross-section 0.8 cm, height 0.6 cm Outside Color Yellow-green145D Involucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm Involucral bractsamong disc- Not present florets Involucral bracts color Green 138B BloomType Double Height 2 cm Size Medium Fully Expanded 5.5 cm Pedunclelength 7-11 cm Peduncle color Green 138C Number of blooms per Approx. 5blooms per branch branch Performance on the plant 5 weeks Seeds Producedin small quantities, ovate grey- brown 199A, 1½ mm in length. FragranceTypical chrysanthemum, slightly Color Center of the flower ImmatureGreyed-orange 172B Mature Greyed-orange 172B Color of upper surface ofthe Greyed-orange 163B to 168C ray-florets Color of the lower surfaceGreyed-orange 163C-D of the ray-florets Tonality from Distance A gardenmum with bronze flowers Color of the ray-florets after Greyed-orange 165C-D aging of the plant Ray florets Texture Upper and under side smoothNumber 220-230 Cross-section Flat to convex Longitudinal axis ofStraight to reflexing majority Length of corolla tube 0.7-1 cmRay-floret margin Entire Ray-floret length 2.5 cm Ray-floret width 0.6cm Ratio length/width Medium Shape of tip Rounded Disc florets Discdiameter 0.1 cm Distribution of disc florets Few, only visible in maturestage Shape Tubular Color Yellow 11D Receptacle shape Conical raisedReproductive Organs Stamen Present in disc florets only Stamen colorYellow-green 144A Pollen Present Pollen color Yellow 7A Styles ThinStyle color Yellow 13A Style Length 0.3 cm Stigma color Yellow-green144A Stigma Width 1 mm Ovaries Enclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown asspray type potmum, outdoor mounded and round Growth habit Sphericalshape Growth rate High Height 40 cm Width 45 cm Stem Color Greyed-brown199C Stem Strength Strong Stem Brittleness Not brittle Stem AnthocyaninColoration Absent Internode length 3-3.5 cm Length of lateral branchFrom top to bottom 21 cm Lateral branch color Green 138B to Yellow-green147C Lateral branch, attachment Medium strength Branching (averagenumber Prolific with 10 breaks after pinching of lateral branches)Natural season blooming date September 13-18 Foliage Leaf color Upperside Green 137A-138A Lower side Green 138B-139C Color midvein Upper sideYellow-green 147D Lower side Yellow-green 148D Size Small; length3.5-5.5 cm, width 2.5-3 cm Quantity (number per lateral 15-25 branch)Shape Elliptic-ovate Texture upper side Glabrous Texture under sidePubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin SerratedShape of Base of Sinus Rounded Between Lateral Lobes Margin of SinusBetween Diverging Lateral Lobes Shape of Base Acute Apex MucronulatePetiole length 1-1.5 cm Petiole color Green 137A-138A

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison variety “Tatoi” ‘Iduna’ Colorray-florets Greyed-orange 163B to 168C Yellow-orange 22C Color flowercenter Greyed-orange 172B Greyed-red 179A

1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant as described andillustrated.